420501 - Unaccounted airwoman and airmen - 1-5-1942

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Kevin,

They shall grow not old suggests two but I have three casualties on the aircraft at the moment.

W6480
P/O R B Henry RCAF
P/O T Dean
P/O R H Pike

Forrm 1180 says 4 so I have one more to find when I review this loss for publication.

Regards
Ross

[Kevin]

Hello Ross,

Thank you for your help. Hopefully someone else will come up with the name of the fourth crew member.

Kind regards

Kevin

[Henk Welting]

Hello friends,
Sorry for belated answer.
Unaccounted for 26-7-1942:
P/O (Pilot) William H. DINGWALL - 118573;
P/O (Pilot) Albert F. JACKSON - 119351;
LAC (Obs u/t) David H.J. JAMES - 1601530;
P/O (WOp/Ag) Kenneth S. NORTON - 119355;
F/Sgt Charles E. SMITH - 357985, and
AC1 John TROWER - 1343372.
Do hope this will bring number four on W6480.
One of them also may have been on Magister I serial N3929 of 133 Sqn; crashlanded Chilworth Manor, Godalming, Surrey, killing P/O (Pilot) Gilbert I. OMENS - 108642 (RAF from USA).
Regards,
Henk.

[jossleclercq]

hello,

From the ORB of No. 609 Squadron :
"Dec. 23 [1941] [...] Arrival of two new pilots, P/O Osborn and Sgt de Saxce (French)."

Osborn was posted to 'B' flight.

"On the last day of the month [April] one of the few English pilots, P/O Osborn, was killed in a motor accident, while on leave.

" May 1. [1942] Early in the morning the sad news comes through that P/O Osborn has been killed the night before in a motoring accident, while on leave. He is the third pilot lost this year - only one owing to enemy action. Total pilot strength is now 19, the lowest for a year.

May. 2 [...] Some routine flying, including bomber affiliation. Typhoons now number 15, Spitfires 13. The airframes of these latter average 201 hours, engines 173 - a big tribute to the Engineer Officer, P/O Yates, and his men. The Adj drives P/O Osborn's car to his home near Henley, and is fetched by F/O Atkinson in the Maggie.

May 4. Further Typhoon practice. P/O de Selys and the IO attend a Combat Film Assessment Course at AFDU for 2 days. F/Lt Cotes-Preedy and the Adj attend P/O Osborn's funeral, get back at 07:00 following morning."

Joss

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello Henk,

RE: P/O (Pilot) Gilbert Inland OMENS - 108642 (Magister I N3929 - Unaccounted 26-7-1942).
(See under: Unaccounted Airwoman & Airmen - 1-5-1942).

Any connection?

DEATHS - ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

DINGWALL. _ Killed on active service in July, 1942. PILOT OFFICER WILLIAM DINGWALL, R.A.F. (U.S.A.). Only son of the late Nelson Webster Dingwall, and of Christine R Dingwall of New York, brother of Beatrice, Catherine and Helen. Buried London Road Cemetery, Salisbury (New York papers please copy). Letters here to Dingwall, 24 Kimbolton Road, Bedford.

See: The Times. August 4, 1942 p.1 (Deaths).

And the CWGC:-

Name: DINGWALL, WILLIAM HERMAN
Initials: W H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Pilot Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Date of Death: 26/07/1942
Service No: 118573
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave Memorial Reference: Sec. M. Grave 205.
Cemetery: SALISBURY (LONDON ROAD) CEMETERY.

Connection with Omens - tenuous!

Col.

[jonheyworth]

Doris Leyland 2088361 , died in the Jewish hospital , Cheetham, Manchester , of a cereberal embolism and acute carditis. Her husband, private 3530406, John Leyland of the Cheshire Regiment, was present at her death

[jonheyworth]

William Preece 1011196, attached to the RAF perigrine falcon unit at Mount Batten, died when he fell off a cliff at Watergate near Newquay at 15:15 hours

[jonheyworth]

George Mailn 1433012 , was admitted seriously ill to Bracebridge Military hospital on 7 February. Transferred to Stanfield sanatorium at Burslem, he died at 06:20 Hours of pulmonary tuberculosis

[jonheyworth]

Thomas Edward Masterton 549891 , attached to Number 10 EFTS , was admitted seriously ill to RAF hospital Weeton on 22 April, where he died of acute appendicitis and pneumonia congestion

[jonheyworth]

Geoffrey Edward Meek 1765072 | attached to Number 15 Recruit’s Centre | was admitted dangerously ill to the Middleton Sanatorium, Ilkley, Yorks, where he died of pulmonary tuberculosis